some free time

okay, so it really isn't free and it is only for about five minutes, but the kids are occupied with xander's remote control lightning mcqueen and todd is out in the kitchen with them, so i seem to have found a moment to write something.
these last few weeks have been crazy. i have stayed really busy with school and getting things done for school. i think i could use another week in my classroom to get everything just right. i am training a new assistant at the same time as i "train" my class, and it has been interesting. i have quite a class this year. very strong personalities. i like to joke that i would feel much better if we could fast forward the first month of school, to when they know the routines. I'm not giving in, and sometimes i am mean but i tell them i know how i want my class and i'm going to get my way.
some cute stories about xander and cassidy....
*when you say "hello" to cassidy she holds her hand up to her ear, like a telephone
*she dances, and usually it is just a head tilt or bob to the right paired with a little bouncing as she bends her knees
*she has words for "xander" "daddy" and "rachel" and they pretty much all sound the same, but she knows the difference
*she is just beginning to walk on her own, to get to something she wants
*she is fascinated with putting paper in her mouth
*she signs "more" for "i want" and it is fun trying to figure out what it is that she wants. usually to tell you "no" she does a head tilt to the right
*she can blow bubbles with her spit (what is it about my children and their talents)

*now xander has discovered "joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat" and has been singing it for days
*he loves newsies and high school musical 1 & 2
*some of our conversations recently have been about marriage....xander wants to marry me, and strongly disagrees when i tell him i am already married to his dad. he protests for another few minutes and then insists that he marry cassidy. when i tell him that it doesn't work that way and that he can't marry cassidy his response is usually something like "mom, i need a girl to marry!"
*he is obsessed with giving me married kisses and i can't help but laugh as he knocks me to the floor and his little freckled face comes at me with his eyes closed and his mouth already puckered up. (one of these days i need to get a picture of that face, cause it really does make me laugh)

sick week

yup, life here this week included coughs, runny noses, tired kids, tired parents, and pink eye! yuck, yuck and triple yuck. we actually had to stay home from school on tuesday and then cassidy and xander left early on thursday. i really hope this week is not a repeat cause i don't think i can afford to be sick another week.
i am looking forward to parent / teacher conferences this week. yeah me! but i've got to have my game face on! i'm the professional here, right?
well, i'm working on that. this saturday i'm scheduled to take one of the graduate level tests as part of my application into graduate school, hopefully at brenau university here in georgia. (have i mentioned this before?) well with all the job and financial troubles that we have been going through i have decided that i need to make myself a little more marketable and more professional so i can "move up" to the elementary schools if i need to. so i'm attempting a masters in early childhood education and my teaching certificate. once i start it could be 1.5 - 2 years ...which means more sleepless nights, more work during the day, more sickness? i hope not. but i know me, lack of sleep = lack of health.
which reminds me, it is after midnight! i must get to bed, up at 5:30. i really never learn.
alright, i'm rambling. my mind is in five different directions - lesson plans, christmas cards, christmas shopping, p / t conferences and my comfy bed. i think i'll put more thought into that last one now. til later...